Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Los Angeles, CA, United States

The new Academy of Motion Pictures and Science Museum will revitalize the historic Streamline Moderne building which has been dormant for nearly two decades. The museum will feature approximately 175,000 square feet of public programming space including galleries, an education center, a theater, two screening rooms, a demonstration lab, and special event spaces. The theater will be surrounded by a translucent glass sphere and topped with a roof deck that will provide panoramic views of Los Angeles.

Jaffe Holden is working closely with the full design team to design high-quality acoustics within the challenging spaces. The Geffen Theater is planned to be the most flexible and highest quality screening and film/video space ever built. Our firm designed a stage that will enhance both amplified and natural acoustic performers, which was a colossal challenge as these different types of performances require different accommodations. The stage will have the ability to be raised and lowered for a variety of ensemble sizes and configurations.

Another challenge was ensuring there was strong sound isolation between the Geffen Theater and the rooftop terrace space, which are located directly on top of one another.